Category Archives: NATURE

Getty Images Pollution has disrupted transport services in Delhi Winter has come to Delhi and with it, a familiar sense of gloom. The sky here is grey and there is a thick, visible blanket of smog. If you stay outdoors for more than a few minutes, you can almost taste ash. You will feel breathless within minutes if you try to run or even walk at a brisk pace in the smog. Newspapers are back to using words like toxic, deadly and poisonous in their main headlines. Most schools have been shut and people have been advised to stay indoors – though those whose livelihoods depend on working outdoors can’t afford to do so. Delhi’s air quality score was somewhere between 1,200 and 1,500 on Monday and Tuesday, according to

According to the weather service, Orange Level 5 severe thunderstorms are expected in parts of the Eastern Cape. (Sarayut Thaneerat/Getty Images) Several warnings for severe thunderstorms have been issued for various parts of the country. According to the South African Weather Service, Orange Level 5 severe thunderstorms can be expected in parts of the Eastern Cape, Yellow Level 3 in parts of the Western Cape and Yellow Level 2 in KwaZulu-Natal. Impact-based warnings Orange Level 5 warning: Severe thunderstorms causing damage to settlements/property, vehicles, infrastructure, and disruptions to municipal services are expected in places along the Wild Coast and adjacent interior of the Eastern Cape. Yellow Level 2 warning: Severe thunderstorms resulting in localised damage to property and temporary structures as well as difficult driving conditions over the eastern and

President Marcos directs government to prepare for ‘worst-case scenario’, with millions at risk from storm surges. The Philippines has ordered the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people and cancelled dozens of flights as a “potentially catastrophic” typhoon – the sixth storm in a month – approaches the archipelago. Packing winds of 240km/h (149mph), Man-yi was upgraded to a super typhoon by state weather agency PAGASA. “Pepito is approaching its peak intensity,” the agency said, using the local name for the storm that was expected to make landfall near the province of Catanduanes on Saturday night or early on Sunday. It warned of a “potentially catastrophic and life-threatening situation” for the central region of Bicol, where nearly 180,000 people have been evacuated. Man-yi was heading towards the eastern part of

East Africa Community delegates during the 13th Mara Day celebrations in Masai Mara. [Harold Odhiambo, Standard] Kenya and Tanzania have pledged to implement a 15-point strategy to protect the fragile Mara River basin, a critical ecosystem for the Masai Mara and Serengeti parks facing threat of degradation. The new plan seeks to speed up the ongoing efforts to transform the collaborative efforts to protect the ecosystem that serves millions of people and wildlife in the two countries and hosts a spectacular event, the wildebeest migration, a wonder of the world. This came as delegates drawn from the two partner states, researchers, conservationists, and residents residing in the Mara ecosystem convened for the 13th Mara Day celebrations in Masai Mara. Led by the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC), delegates pledged to

Staff Reporter THE Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, called for honest engagement with the developed world on climate financing commitments as outlined in the Paris Agreement. “There is no need to beg, but we are simply asking the developed world to honour its commitments under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. These are the only international instruments that keep us together for the common purpose of realising a greener future,” Shifeta said. He made these remarks at the sixth high-level ministerial dialogue on climate finance, part of the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The event is taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November 2024. Shifeta emphasised that climate finance must be delivered on

Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Director Mr. Hamis Mohamed (center), ARR Insurance Coast Regional Manager Julie Gaitho (right), AAR Insurance Group Head of Technology Eugene Sanya (left) and students of Al Nahyan participate in planting part of 40,000 trees at the school’s compound to mark AAR’ 40th anniversary. [Joackim Bwana, Standard] Students from Mombasa and Nairobi joined Kenya’s Insurance giants AAR Insurance to plant 40,000 trees in an initiative to nurture budding environmentalists. The Insurance partnered with students from Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Mombasa County and Lenana School in Nairobi to plant 40,000 trees, an initiative that seeks to nurture young environmentalists in schools across the country. Dubbed ‘A tree, a life’ program, the Insurance planted trees across all AAR branches in the country to mark their

Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o speaking to stakeholders during the inaugural Lake Victoria Aquaculture Forum in Kisumu.[Washington Onyango,Standard] In an effort to revive the fisheries sector in Kenya, key stakeholders are pushing for legal reforms and improved aquaculture practices. Busia Governor Dr. Paul Otuoma has called for an urgent review of the Fisheries Act to align it with the 2010 Constitution, while the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) has developed a detailed map to guide fish farmers in Lake Victoria on the proper installation of fish cages. These efforts come in response to challenges such as declining fish populations and massive fish kills that have caused significant losses to farmers in Kisumu and Busia counties. Speaking at the inaugural Lake Victoria Aquaculture Forum in Kisumu, Governor Otuoma, who also

The Neckartal irrigation scheme, which is currently being developed in the //Kharas region, is expected to create about 11 000 employment opportunities. Minister of agriculture, water and land reform Calle Schlettwein revealed this during the Keetmanshoop Agricultural, Industrial and Tourism Expo last week. He said between 33 000 and 40 000 people are expected to be attracted by the project. Schlettwein said the ministry is at an advanced stage of procuring the services of technical experts for the construction of irrigation systems at farm level, and are envisaging to have these consultants on board from next year. The ministry has, in the meantime, split the development of the irrigation scheme into two phases to allow the construction of a balancing dam due to water scarcity. “The development of the Neckartal

The 2024 crop marketing season was a historic crisis for Namibian farmers, with crop yields dropping to less than 30 000t of grain due to drought. This led to the country’s food self-sufficiency rate for white maize, mahangu and wheat dropping from 38% in 2022 to below 26% for the 2024 season. Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB) chief executive Fidelis Mwazi announced this on Tuesday. “One of the most significant challenges in the crop subsector has been the recurring droughts, which have severely impacted our production capacity almost every third year,” he said. Mwazi said the drop in production highlights the urgent need for strategic intervention to support producers and safeguard Namibia’s agriculture. He said it is essential to invest in irrigation farming to boost local cereal production. “The government must